“Every capital campaign requires a unique blend between the art and science of philanthropy. Our campaign cabinet had been working on 25 top prospects- we knew them, they knew us- but we had no idea what to ask for. By accessing a wide array of public information, Aspire Research helped us verify the interest and capacity of several prospects and confirmed that no public information was available on the rest. Aspire provides us with good data, the science, which we are using to build stronger relationships- the art of philanthropy.”

Steve Dickie, Oklahoma Methodist Manor

Prospect Research for Fundraisers: The Essential Handbook

Jen Filla, president of Aspire Research Group, teamed up with Helen Brown to write Prospect Research for Fundraisers: The Essential Handbook.

“Congratulations to the authors on producing a book that should be in every development officer’s library.” -Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE

From essential overviews to how-to-search skills, this practical book gives the development team the tools to understand how to use prospect research in ways that best fit their goals for each stage of the fundraising cycle.

donor research

Strategic Research for Transformative Gifts

by Aspire Research Group
June 26, 2023March 28, 2025
Major Gift Teams, Profiles

Asking for a major or transformative gift is a little bit like asking someone to marry you. You’ve (likely) been… Read More »Strategic Research for Transformative Gifts

Finding the Right Cheese for the Cracker: Using Research to Create Strategies and Tactics for Cultivating Prospects

by Aspire Research Group
June 1, 2023March 28, 2025
Major Gift Teams, Profiles

For some prospects, it’s easy to know how they made their money. For instance, if they are a CEO or… Read More »Finding the Right Cheese for the Cracker: Using Research to Create Strategies and Tactics for Cultivating Prospects

Learning to Drive: Using Prospect Research for Early Cultivation Meetings

by Aspire Research Group
May 1, 2023March 28, 2025
Major Gift Teams, Profiles

Remember the first time you got behind the wheel of a car? Maybe you had taken your learner’s permit test… Read More »Learning to Drive: Using Prospect Research for Early Cultivation Meetings

Neon One’s Donors: Understanding The Future of Individual Giving – Part 2

by Aspire Research Group
February 28, 2023March 28, 2025
Reports and Trends, Research in Fundraising

NeonOne set out to understand what individual giving looks like in the post-pandemic world. By reviewing many sources including academic… Read More »Neon One’s Donors: Understanding The Future of Individual Giving – Part 2

Neon One’s Donors: Understanding The Future of Individual Giving – Part 1

by Aspire Research Group
December 19, 2022March 28, 2025
Reports and Trends, Research in Fundraising

How to Unlock the Major Gift Magic in Profiles and Capacity Ratings

by Aspire Research Group
July 22, 2022September 30, 2024
Major Gift Teams, Profiles, Prospect Identification

It happens. You get that profile and say to yourself, “Well, I knew all THAT,” or you take one look… Read More »How to Unlock the Major Gift Magic in Profiles and Capacity Ratings

Off the Shelf: The Best of Aspire…and Beyond

by Aspire Research Group
June 22, 2022September 22, 2024
Major Gift Teams, Profiles, Research in Fundraising

Just in case you are not experiencing soaring temperatures outside, let me remind you that it is officially summertime. And… Read More »Off the Shelf: The Best of Aspire…and Beyond

In Good Company: A Guide to Corporate Fundraising

by Aspire Research Group
March 23, 2021July 23, 2025
Aspire News, Profiles, Research in Fundraising

March 2021 | Tampa FL | Aspire Research Group is pleased to present In Good Company: A Guide to Corporate… Read More »In Good Company: A Guide to Corporate Fundraising

Corporate Giving Opportunities

Companies are trying to respond to the devastation that coronavirus has had on people’s lives, whether personally or professional. Recently,… Read More »Corporate Giving Opportunities

To Use or Not to Use Corporate Capacity Ratings

by Aspire Research Group
April 23, 2020July 23, 2025
Profiles, Prospect Identification, Research in Fundraising

While capacity ratings are the typical researcher’s bread and butter, we asked our panelists about the use of capacity ratings… Read More »To Use or Not to Use Corporate Capacity Ratings